Tips for Buying Fine Jewellery Online

Gone are the days when buying jewellery meant going to your local store only to choose from a limited number of options. The age of the internet has revolutionised the way we shop. Today, buying jewellery is as simple as a mouse click. However, some of us remain wary of buying precious stones online. With a few tips and best practices, you can ensure your online jewellery shopping is safe and a great investment.

Trust

Ensure the online seller is trustworthy. This will require some research on your part. Look for online articles and resources to understand how established the brand is, and if it is in good standing with third-party sources, previous buyers, etc. Their customer support should be strong, professional and willing to answer your questions at any time.

Check the return policy

Sometimes, items don’t live up to their online description, despite precautions and quality checks by the seller. Check how the online store tackles such situations if they have a reasonable returns policy in place if you get a full refund and so on. Most trusted brands will offer a month-long, no questions asked return policy.

Look for reviews and feedback

When buying jewellery online, reviews and feedback from other users help you decide if a certain item is worth purchasing. Established stores will typically feature multiple reviews for their products, especially popular ones.

The more images, the better

Because you miss out on physically feeling your purchase, you need images to get an accurate idea of the product in question. Established stores feature pictures of each product taken from multiple angles (front, back, left, right, etc.) and highlighting special design features, maker’s marks etc. to help you decide on the purchase.

Check for certifications

Look for jewellery with the necessary certifications, lab reports etc., that back up the seller’s claim of certain quality. For instance, if you’re buying gold earrings, look for the purity mark, karat details and so on, which can typically be found under the Description or Terms and Conditions section.

Secure payment

Established stores will always offer a secure checkout for your purchases. Look for the ‘HTTPS’ mark in the address bar, which indicates your payment information is safe.

With these tips and tricks in mind, you don’t need to fret over the safety of your online jewellery shopping experience. Follow these practices before you hit ‘pay’ at checkout the next time!

Jaspal is a web designer and owns a web development company Web Seasoning. He is also an full-time online geek. Follow him on @twitter or sign-up for the email newsletter and get daily updates from this blog.